By Deborah Bier, publisher and editor of this ezine.
Jeri Bemis showing a visitor what's left of the Benson barn at the end of its dismantlement. (click image to enlarge) |
Growing up in Concord, Jeri Bemis used to ride, walk, and ski through the woods and along the Concord River by her family's home. The neighboring Benson property at the end of Balls Hill Road always held a special fascination for her. Even now, she remembers as a child loving the house and its setting, wondering what it was like inside and who had lived there over the years.
She continues to hold long-lasting warm feelings for the place. More recently a resident of Idaho, her brothers and sisters would ask her now and again if she ever saw herself coming back to live in Concord. She'd answer in part-jest, "I'd only move back if it were to fix up the old Benson place and live in it."
The years have passed and Jeri's fascination with this house and her joking words have now become prophetic. While she does not plan to live in the house or move back to Concord, she has become a central figure in the careful exploration and gentle dismantling of the Benson's house and barn. And in doing so, she has become an integral part of these structures' ongoing history; a story which would already have ended without someone passionately committed to the preservation of old buildings.
The Benson House was in immaculate condition on May 21, 1904. (click to enlarge image)
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The Benson barn of the same date; both photos by Herbert Wendell Gleason. (click to enlarge image) |
Dismantle, Not Destroy
In the year 2000, the Town of Concord purchased the house, barn and surrounding property following a special Town Meeting authorizing the sale. Long viewed as an ideal site for another town well, part of the property has already been resold to a neighbor to support the well's development; part will remain in conservation. The buildings were to be removed according the wishes of the private buyer. But because of these structures' great age and historical interest, it was decided to dismantle instead of demolish them.
The Balls Hill House Preservation project was created to fund and handle the dismantling and storage, with Jeri Bemis as its driving force. With the team of David Ottinger, Stuart Worthing and Wayne Perry, they spent this summer and fall documenting, examining, exploring, and dismantling the structures. The buildings have been placed into storage with the hope of future reconstruction and restoration.
The Benson House, August 2001, at the time of dismantling. (click to enlarge image) |
Hand-cut lathe is revealed once the plaster has been removed. (click to enlarge image) |
Beauty Amongst the Ruins
To Jeri, the work has been hugely rewarding, including the daily sifting through centuries of dirt, disrepair and decay. Many saw the place as a ruin beyond salvage when it was purchased. But all she could see was how beautiful the structures were, particularly loving the lines and balance of the house (photo, above left). The dismantling team knew the buildings still could lead useful lives.
Every day, new discoveries were made as they documented, examined, and pealed off each layer of the structure. A child's shoe in the wall above a doorway placed for luck according to tradition. A hidden staircase lined with original, unpainted 18th century feather-edged paneling. Ten layers of wallpaper in the kitchen documenting centuries of decoration and fashion.
Playing detective, this team has been able to trace the changes to the structures through pondering each nail hole, mark, notch, peg, and change in coloration in the buildings' members as they were uncovered. In this way, they have seen how the barn floor was raised at some time in the past, how a staircase was moved, when feather-edged paneling was turned into hand-cut lath (photo, above right), and the size and shape of now-missing windows, doors, and other details.
After Storage, What Next?
Beyond storage, there are currently no firm plans of what to do with these structures now that they have been dismantled, though there are plenty of ideas and wishes. For example, the house could be restored to some level of historical relevance, with an addition added to make it habitable for modern residential use.
But Jeri dreams of seeing an accurately restored Benson house restored to the 1700's. The now-departed Peabody Room (a 17th century furnished room) at the old Concord Antiquarian Society had a powerful influence on her as a young girl visiting during an elementary school trip. The period furnishings and the way of life they represented occupied her imagination for many years. She hopes the restored house would have a similar effect on other young people, inspiring a life-long love of old structures.
After a childhood pre-occupation imagining the house's many occupants, Jeri still thinks about them. The dismantling revealed many tantalizing clues about their lives, but there are still many unanswered questions. What stories do the house and barn in storage still conceal? What could further research reveal? While she does not live in this house, it continues to live within her, and probably always will.
If you or your organization are interested in helping this house and/or barn find a new home, contact the Concord Historical Commission (Joe Wheeler, Chair, can be emailed at WHEELER894@aol.com).
Photos: Gleason images courtesy of the Special Collections of the Concord Free Public Library. All other photos ©2001 Richard Stevenson
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